Dr. Dean Vause

Dr. Dean Vause is the Executive Director of the Alberta Adolescent Recovery Centre (“AARC”), a long-term, intensive treatment program for severely addicted youth and their families. AARC is the culmination of Dr. Vause’s over 35 years of research into adolescent addiction. Dr. Vause started his career in high schools where he taught, counselled, and developed programs to help youth in the education system. His master’s dissertation “A School Drug Program” was developed to address the drug issue in the education system. Dr. Vause’s Ph.D. Program (“Adolescent Substance Use Disorders”) focussed on a model and facility for treating addicted youth and their families.

Dr. Vause is considered to be a leading expert in the field of adolescent addiction, and his advice is sought by other professionals and communities. He has provided many presentations on substance use in schools in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, British Columbia, and parts of the United States.

Dr. Vause’s legacy has been AARC’s success in saving youth from the ravages of addiction. Outside research has confirmed that many of AARC’s graduates are sober and are living meaningful and productive lives. [1][2][3][4]

Dr. Vause is the recipient of the Rotary International “Paul Harris Fellowship”, the highest honour in Rotary International. Other awards include Calgary Citizen of the Year award (2004) and the Alberta Centennial Medal. In 2015, Dr. Vause was recognized as a keynote speaker in the Magnificent Men Leadership Lunch Series. In 2017, Dr. Vause and his staff at AARC were recipients of the prestigious Calgary Police Chief’s Award for Exceptional Recognition for Community Service. In 2023, Dr. Vause was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal (Alberta).